The Grisham we all loved from the 90's!

Ive always enjoyed the compelling storeytelling of John Grisham but have been unimpressed with his last few novels.
Sycamore Row is classic Grisham that delivers strong character development, descriptive subplots, twists and unforseen turns.
I was very pleased to see he returned his readers to Clanton, Mississippi a few years after the Carl Lee Haley trial. Ive always wanted a follow up to that novel and now we have one.

As always, Michael Beck gives a solid narration!

If this review helped, please press YES. Much appreciated

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338 people found this helpful

Grisham at his best (again)

This is a Grisham book you don't want to pass on. In the 90's I loved reading his early works- The Firm, A Time to Kill, and The Pelican Brief, but slowly his books seemed to lose their luster. They've always been enjoyable to read, but not like his early writings I fell in love with.

In Sycamore Row Grisham goes back to Clanton, Mississippi, the scene of A Time to Kill, and reconnects us with Jake Brigance, the struggling lawyer made famous by the Carl Lee Haley trial. His new case immediately takes on a David vs. Goliath feel which emotionally pulls the audience into the story like the best books do. The characters are very well developed, and as the story progresses it will be harder and harder to remove your headphones and rejoin the real world.

This book is John Grisham at his best. I will be recommending it to everyone I know. This is one of those rare times I wish audible could give me a six-star option.

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329 people found this helpful

My Inaugural Grisham

There are pages of reviews...but I thought Grisham newbies might benefit from another first-timer's view:
I've always thought to pick up a Grisham novel, but seems they were on the screen before I could choose where to start (sorting out the ones that Hollywood had already translated). Understanding, after-the-fact, that this is a continuation of a previous novel, I realize my choice may not have been very strategic, but I don't think I would have enjoyed this one any more if I had read that novel, and am glad to finally join the throngs of Grisham fans.

This was a great read written with a focused projection that kept the plot steaming toward a very grand finalé. The characters were colorful without being Southern stereo types; even without knowledge of the prior book, I was able to fill in their personalities and get that familiarization that makes you feel comfy with a book and its inhabitants.

What sets this courtroom drama apart from the many, is the absolute precision of Grisham as he meticulously builds this story from its roots -- during one of our country's darkest chapters in history. There is never a sense of filler, no characters to just add bulk, or subplots to steer you away from a weak plot line. The story is powerful and spans generations. As the history is uncovered, the characters expand and even become studies of the different shades of humanity. Because of Grisham's own legal background, I expected to be inundated with profession braggadocio, but the actual attitude expressed surprised me as well as kept me on level with all of the legalese.

My modus operandi may be backassward, but I've already downloaded the prequel, A Time to Kill, and am looking forward to going "back to where it all began." It's no surprise these books made it to the screen before I made it into Barnes & Noble (BA - before Audible).

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175 people found this helpful

Finally, another Grisham novel!

Any additional comments?

I am still in the middle of this book but had to write a review because I was surprised that the current rating was only 2 stars. Knowing this had to be an error I purchased this book and am glad I did. As a devoted Grisham fan I was eagerly awaiting this novel. Reading this story feels like going home for a visit, all the same folks that make life interesting. Add to it the amazing storytelling performance of Michael Beck and it's already one of my new favorites.

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73 people found this helpful

Excellent story and narration.

Grisham takes us back into the courtroom, a setting in which he excels: The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, and on and on. Including, of course, the wonderful A Time to Kill (1989) with attorney Jake Brigance. In Sycamore Row Jake is back, this time wrapped up in defending a holographic will.

This book is a sequel to A Time to Kill only in that the same lawyers -- Harry Rex Vonner, Lucien Wilbanks, Jake -- are back in the same small Mississippi town, but if you've forgotten the earlier book you won't have any problem reading this. A few references to the trial in A Time to Kill are used to establish Jake as a stand-up guy, which is how he gets dragged into the business with the will in the first place. There are also some KKK types who threaten and harass Jake and his family over his defense of a black man in the earlier book, but all the needed backstory is provided.

The plot is tightly woven and well paced. There are a few elements that seem there just to provide color, like the slick Memphis lawyer who tosses a race-grenade into the courtroom, but then slips from the scene. I do wish Grisham had followed through a bit more with the rednecks, especially the one who was released on parole. I thought for sure that firebrand would be back, and I just love it when they get their comeuppance, but he too was written out of the plot.

It's a different kind of law than what we usually get in courtroom novels. It centers around a holographic will handwritten by a man on the eve of his suicide by hanging (from a sycamore tree, a fact you should keep in mind). It's established pretty early on that his kids, son and daughter, don't have much time for the old man, so you won't be surprised to learn they don't make out too well in this will. And of course, there's an earlier will out there, all lawyerly and notarized, in which the kids fare much better. Which will wins? Read on.

Michael Beck is excellent. He has a nice, unaffected style when he's just narrating, and then shows a great range of characterizations of the southerners portrayed here. From my short time living in Mississippi I can say the accents seem quite authentic. Beck gives each of the major characters his own distinct voice and keeps them consistent throughout the book.

No more free passes for Mister Grisham, not after the hugely disappointing The Broker. Now I approach every new Grisham book as a I would a new author. Interestingly this book is a sequel to one Grisham wrote when he was a new author and yes, it's just as good.

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58 people found this helpful

As good as it gets...

John Grisham is to me, the best author when it comes to the courtroom, legal, lawyer, mystery. I have every book of his that I can get. I have enjoyed each and every one of them. This book was so good, it made me stop and think, "When did I last enjoy a book so much?" Oh, it was a John Grisham book…

Please do not wait, get this book and share in my excitement. I love a good mystery! Enjoy!

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39 people found this helpful

Superb Narration of Southern Accents, Compelling P

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sycamore Row?

The Grisham plot builds and builds around a legal and cultural mystery of, "Why would a Mississippi businessman leave more than $20 million in his will to his black housekeeper while providing nothing for his family"? The ending, as many others have said, will not disappoint. It had me sitting in my car after my commute with the engine turned off, wondering what would happen to convince the jury. The ending did not disappoint.

What does Michael Beck bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Best narration of any audible book I have listened to. The Southern accents are impeccable. He can even do black Southern women fairly convincingly.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did shed a tear as I listened to the riveting scene in which the father of two sons killed by a drunken driver reached out to the family of the driver to say he and his wife are Christians who forgive the man because that's what Christ calls them to do. In the book, this left the lawyer protagonist speechless. It left me thinking about what it truly means to be a Christian. I heard that a few days before Easter and it choked me up.

Any additional comments?

The story has lots and lots of legal and courtroom details, such as somewhat tedious reviews of depositions. But these add texture and credibility to the story. Grisham gets close to the line of too much legal explanation and examples but for the most part does not, in my opinion, cross it. A great read and listen!

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34 people found this helpful

Powerful Ending

I never miss a John Grisham story. I love them, eventhough I know his basic theme is so often the same and just reworked to incorporate a few changes here and there. Rich white guy dies, leaves fortune, cuts family out of will, and hires a lawyer to make sure his wishes are carried out (in this case Jake Brigance.) The publisher's summary gives us all the information to set the stage for the legal battle to ensue---so I won't go into details.

Overall I thought this novel was pretty bland and didn't have any of those "aha" moments I expected--UNTIl toward the end when I literally could not put the ipod down as I had to see what happened. Everything is explained as the lawyers find a lost piece of the puzzle-- the last deposition was gripping and heart wrenching.

Great performance by Michael Beck too!

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31 people found this helpful

Beg to differ

Grisham is not back. While Sycamore Row is slightly better than the author's last novel, the writing is just as lazy. I could not make myself finish it. Quite simply, I was too bored! Plus, the stereotypical portrayal of blacks and "rednecks" is hard to take. Even the 'smart' black woman who manages to crawl out of the family garbage to become the lawyer's secretary is a stereotype -- and perhaps there so that people don't outright protest Mr. Grisham's condescension/racist portrayals. The narrator might be making it worse (making every black and/or poor character sound mildly retarded), but I don't think so.

Then there's the question of the "hero." He makes it quite clear that his main preoccupation is his own financial situation, so not much there to admire. (At one point he convinces the beneficiary that she does not need her own lawyer….but when there's an offer of a settlement, he says to the other attorneys that he does not have to relay the offer to her because he is not her lawyer. So he duped her? So much for hero.)

However, like I said, the reason I could not finish it was mainly boredom. SO predictable. In fact, I got halfway through and I can pretty much tell you what the (SPOILER ALERT, even though I have not finished the book:) "surprise" ending will be: the long lost brother is found; it will turn out that he and his brother witnessed a horrific crime by their family against Lettie's family -- possible their father raping Lettie's mother; that is why the old man left her the money. So there. I could not put up with another 6 hours to hear what I am sure I pretty much guessed hours ago.

I plan to get my credit back.

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29 people found this helpful

Among Grisham's best!

I've been very critical in my Audible reviews of John Grisham's two most recent novels, Gray Mountain and Rogue Lawyer. Sycamore Row was released in 2013 and it is as good as any prior Grisham novel. In this book Grisham goes back to the location and main character from A Time to Kill, his 1989 novel that introduced him to the literary world. Sycamore Row is a great legal thriller.

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23 people found this helpful